Bone blood flow is influenced by muscle contractions

Abstract

Forces acting on the skeleton could be divided into those originating from gravitational loading and those originating from muscle loading. Flat bones in a non-weight-baring segment of the skeleton probably experience forces mostly generated by muscle contractions. One purpose of muscle contractions is to generate blood flow within skeletal tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the pulsatile patellar bone blood flow after low and high intensity leg extension exercises. Forty-two healthy individuals volunteered for the study. Dynamic isotonic one leg extension/flexion exercises were performed in a leg extension machine. Randomly, the exercises were performed with the left or right leg with either 10 repetition maximum (10 RM) continuously without any resting periods (high intensity muscle work), or 20 RM with a 2 second rest between contractions (low intensity muscle work). The work load, expressed in kilograms totally lifted, was identical in both legs. The pulsatile patellar blood flow was recorded continuously using a photoplethysmographic technique. Blood pressure was measured continuously during muscle work by a non-invasive method (Finapress). The patellar pulsatile bone blood flow increased significantly more after high intensity muscle work (61%) compared to the same work load performed using a lower intensity (22%), p = 0.000073. Systolic blood pressure changed equally during and after both interventions. Post-exercise bone hyperaemia appears to be correlated to the intensity of muscle contractions in the muscle compartment attached to the bone

Use of near‐infrared systems for investigations of hemodynamics in human in vivo bone tissue: A systematic review

“…Twenty‐one studies were identified using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and 10 studies were identified using photoplethysmography (PPG) non‐invasively on in vivo bone tissue . Fifty‐seven studies were identified using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in vivo of which 56 were intra‐operative.…”

Near infrared spectroscopy for measuring changes in bone hemoglobin content after exercise in individuals with spinal cord injury

“…18–22 These studies have shown that NIRS can measure the effects of physiological events on blood perfusion (microgravity 18 , orthostatic stress 19 , aging 21 ). NIRS was also used to assess pulsatile flow in the patella 23,24 . Aziz et al 22 presented hemoglobin content in tibia cortical bone in a single individual during cuff inflation using a NIRS instruments developed specifically for bone.…”

“…NIRS was also used to assess pulsatile flow in the patella. 23,24 Aziz et al 22 presented hemoglobin content in tibia cortical bone in a single individual during cuff inflation using a NIRS instruments developed specifically for bone. Sekar et al 25 used timeresolved diffuse optical spectroscopy to probe bone oxygen consumption and blood flow in different superficial bones in able-bodied individuals.…”

Bone and Soft Tissue Blood Flow during Normobaric and Hyperbaric Oxygen Breathing in Healthy Divers

“…An averaging period covering at least 30 -60 heartbeats is suggested to improve confidence in PPG pulse measurements [19], and this time period was used in our study. For further discussions on validation of the PPG method see Hagblad et al [39] and Näslund et al [23].…”

“…PPG is a non-invasive optical technique and has been used to monitor blood flow in skin and muscles [17]- [19], but also to monitor hemodynamic sensing in implanted devices [20]. Furthermore, it has been used to study experimentally induced changes in pulsatile blood flow within the patellar bone [21]- [23]. However, the method has not yet been evaluated for hyperbaric use.…”